


only if i could

by zenithzinc



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Gen, Short One Shot, woojin's pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 14:00:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11442354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenithzinc/pseuds/zenithzinc
Summary: woojin wanted to help, but he's only one of the many princes in the palace who has no real power.





	only if i could

ever since they're born almost twenty summers before, everyone in the palace had known that except their birth time, both princes were nothing alike. not even their appearance. although he's younger, prince woojin was taller, faster and stronger. he loved the warm feeling of the sun kissing his skin, the gentle wind ruffling his hair. he spent all his free time outside, playing around and did all kinds of sports available, his favorite definitely would be hunting. 

that day was a good day in the middle of early autumn, the weather hadn't turned too cold, he could go to the east forest without his jacket, and the sky was clear of clouds. he only needed around half an hour to catch a deer in highlight near riverbank. The next second, at the corner of his eyes, he could spot three fawns running away.

he went back empty handed.

it's just about the end of the afternoon when he rode past the back wooden gate and caught a glimpse of familiar clothes passing by in the distance. it's one of his favorite jacket that none other than him owned. he watched as the two persons approaching the guarded entrance. woojin stopped his horse, followed by his entourage, nearby. 

the person who carried the other's on his back turned to him. he knew that face. 

" what happened? "

and before the person could even reply, realization hit him. 

his twin had lost his consciousness.

 

***

 

woojin knew lai guanlin. jihoon had introduced each other the first time he joined them. 

lai guanlin was tall, even taller than his brother minhyun, and young, even younger than daehwi. his twin was dragged along by the son of warlord ong when they first met in lotus pond, the most well known gisaeng house in the capital. the one and only boy there had just lost a bet and was dressed all up in too small hanbok which ended up showing his sockless feet, complete with all the accessories hanging on his wig and clothes. jihoon told him the younger ran as soon as their eyes met, nearly fell into a pond behind him in the process, his face as red as the queen's rose in the greenhouse. woojin couldn't help but laughed out loud imagining the scene.

lai guanlin now standing in front of him was nothing like that. the guard needed to kick his calves in order to get him knelt on the floor. even from this distance the prince could see how the commoner's trembling so hard his whole frame shook, his tears didn't stop dropping, immediately staining the floor. 

he couldn't even open his mouth to explain. or to apologize. anything. 

the prince waited.

 

***

 

by the end of the day, prince jihoon's quarter was so crowded the palace physician begged all the visitors to stop coming and let the former rest. even minhyun, who's so busy with all his new responsibility as the new appointed king stayed for hours until another urgency called him.

woojin waited until everyone eventually left as the dawn came. he sneaked in, a hand guiding the commoner. having seen guanlin settled down next to his twin's bed, he closed the door then sat on the veranda. he paid the guards with two golds. 

 

***

 

it took more than a week until the physician's sure of the young prince's condition. the palace burst in joy, and the king decided to hold a small celebration in the younger's quarter. jihoon still looked as pale as the garden's lily but obviously a lot better than the previous week. once the party was over in late evening, on a subtle cue that only both of them could notice, woojin followed his twin to his bedroom.

" how do you feel? " he broke the silence. 

they sat next to each other in the middle of silk pillows piled up on the too big seat just like when they're children. woojin wondered if it's the perk of being twin because even under all his formal attire he still could feel the chill up to his spine.

the older showed a weak smile. " i'm fine." he leaned on his brother's side and rested his head in the crook of his neck. " how is he?"

" you bad guy. " woojin snorted. " he cried so much as if he killed somebody. i told him you're not going to die that easily. not when i'm here." 

" cheesy." jihoon let out a small laugh. he held the younger's fingers." he took me to a clearing. it looked so pretty. the sky was clear and it felt so fresh. the snow had fallen." his hands were just as cold.

woojin sighed." you're so going to die if the others knew." he rubbed their hands together.

" you know i like winter. it's so white and soft. " jihoon's eyelashes moved in slow motion as he looked up. "how is he, woojin-ah?"

woojin never answered. he didn't need to.

**Author's Note:**

> we need more panwink guys im deprived


End file.
